Search Results for 'popular' (2975 matches)

One Scary Man

I know that the title is little curious. But the scary homeless man is even more curious. I have lived in Mayport Florida for about three years. Every day, leaving work, coming home and running errands, I pass this homeless man with two shopping baskets full of his treasures.  Except for about 2-3 months of the year (and I'm not sure where he goes during that time), he is always around, never to be missed. Anyhow, the reason I call him a scary man is because my son and I are often together when we see this man and he's always talkin to him self and staring at people with an awkward look. He talks loud and much of what he says does not make sense. With his two carts filled to the top, he's there just talking away.  It's intimidating. My wife and I are always talking about his misfortune and how ... Read Full Story >>

A Compassion Buddy Overseas

I have a friend who I was put into contact with through my Narrative Therapist. She is also unwell and under going huge hardships. We live in different countries, and our situations are quite different from one another. But despite this, we find we can connect to each others hearts through a few compassionate words. Each day, we send each other something to 'lift' one another up. Whether it be the lyrics to an inspirational song, a capturing quote, or just some thoughtful, comforting words. The impact this has on me is incredible. And it works two ways- the fact that I've made her feel good, makes me feel good inside, and the fact that she's made me feel good, makes her feel good. I guess I'm trying to say- a compassionate heart is the most priceless thing in the world. And to be compassionate, you do not need to 'know', you need not understand, ... Read Full Story >>

Shopping In The Rain

Today it was raining really hard. When I went to the grocery store, all of the Shopping Carts were dripping wet. I managed to find a paper towel and wipe it down and off I went to do my shopping.

I only picked up a few items and was on my way out of the store. As I walked out I noticed a Mom struggling as she came through the store doors with a baby in her arms. It was raining so hard outside she was running in.  I quickly said she could use my cart as it was dry and she could put the baby in right away instead of looking for something to dry a cart off with. I just grabbed my bags of groceries out of the cart -- they were light -- and I ran off to my car without a cart.   The mom was very grateful to me for helping her out.

I felt happy knowing I was able to offer her my shopping cart and was able to help her with her little baby.

Be on the look out for opportunities.  They're everywhere, even when you're grocery shopping in the rain!

A True Santa Who Changed Our Lives

Shortly after my divorce, I had to quit my management job and take a factory job so I could spend more time with my three kids. I was only making 1/5 of what I was and things were getting really tight.  But I have never asked anyone for anything; my pride wouldn't allow it. I didn't really know how I was going to continue making ends meet. To make it worse, Christmas was coming up and I couldn't even afford a tree or any gifts for my children. I was behind on rent and the light bill was past due. I don't know where it came from or from who, but one day when I returned home from work, I was totally amazed. I just started crying and I couldn't stop.  Someone had delivered so much stuff to my house. Gifts for all three children. Clothes, School supplies, toys. Enough ... Read Full Story >>

Anything helps!

I was just stopping by the grocery store yesterday when I saw a guy outside with a sign that said, "Anything helps". As I turned my car around and he was just about to pack up and leave. I asked what he needed in the store. He asked for a can of ravioli. I picked him up ravioli, spaghetti, and beef stroganoff in the car. He seemed to be appreciative when I gave them to him. 

The Simple Kindness of a Four Year Old

A few weeks ago, my oldest son, Erik decided to spend the day with one of his nieces, Mia, who is 4 years old. They went out and about to several places and then decided to go downtown before heading back home. Downtown is Mia's favorite place to go!  They were walking around and browsing in store windows and taking in the sights when Mia spotted some flowers and she picked a few. After some time, Mia began to drag a bit and Erik, wanting to head back home urged her along. Passing a few homeless men sitting along the sidewalks, he would walk a bit faster to get her past them, but she held back and made him come to a complete stop. ''C'mon, Mia. You need to walk with me.''  ''Okay, Uncle Erik '', she replied ''but this man needs a flower!''  He looked on as she handed the homeless man her flower and Erik said that the man smiled a big ... Read Full Story >>

No Better Time Than Now To Be Happy

"We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we're frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We'll certainly be happy when they're out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that ... Read Full Story >>

Moved by a Spontaneous Act of Kindness from a Stranger

Last night, after donating the last of my change to Children In Need (a U.K. telethon appeal,) I got on the train from London to Manchester. Feeling hungry, I went to the buffet car, only to find that the card machine was broken and I couldn't buy a sandwich. 

The Wrong Bus at the Right Time

This happened several weeks ago. That morning, I prayed to God to use me for his glory! During my commute to work, I accidentally got on the wrong bus to my office (I was reading the news on my phone) and had to get off and walk several blocks to work, a path I never take normally. I met a man sitting on a bench looking very distressed, so I asked him what was wrong. He said his car had been towed from a public lot and he had no money to get to the airport to meet his wife. I told him I could help him and to wait there for me. I went to my bank one block away and got cash. When I returned, the man was standing there, watching me approach him. When I gave him the money, he hugged me, thanked me, and started crying! I ... Read Full Story >>

Husband's Act Of Kindness A Week Before Holidays After Losing His Job

We have had bad news this week, my husband was made redundant (laid off/no job anymore) from his job on Tuesday. I am thankful we are better off than most, and will be able to stretch our finances until he finds another job.

Amongst all of my stress, trying to stay strong for both of us...my husband gave me $100 cash and said "go on, go out and buy some coffee cards and Subway cards, lets take them to the hospital for the staff, they work hard" My eyes filled with tears, and I was so proud of my husband. I don't often have to say we can't do things because we need the money ourselves, but that was my first thought. He said "we will be okay, we need to look outwards not inwards" what a very special man.

The Gypsy Flower Boy

In 2000, I was on holiday with my friends on the  island of Corfu, Greece. One night we were walking along the main road that was lined on both sides with bars and nightclubs and it was very late maybe 11:30pm.  I noticed that there were children walking along in front of me and I thought, "It is late for children to be up and about," but then I noticed that they were gypsy children, young girls and boys selling roses, or trying to sell roses to drunk tourists and gangs of girls out for the night! I felt sad when I saw one boy, probably no older than 8 or 9, trying to sell theflowers to the passers by and getting polite and sometimes agressive responses from the people that thronged the street. "Where were his parents and what was he doing out at this time," I thought.  I just ... Read Full Story >>

Making Over A Room With Love And Kindness

I wrote earlier about my gift home makeover project - Etseth and I would like to tell you about a very special family that I have recently done a makeover for! The mum of this family, was a victim of severe domestic abuse 12 years ago. After years of the being subjected to violence, she summoned enough courage to leave, she moved from England to Wales with her three children and moved into a woman’s refuge. Further down the line, she met someone, got married and they eventually had two more children.  Their two oldest have moved out so they are left with three children who are 14,11 and 9 years old. My project was to plaster the lounge/dining room. Whilst I was doing this project, their oldest daughter returned from serving in Afghanistan. Unbeknownst to the family, the daughter had spent lots of her army pay to take the family away for a 2 week holiday. As the ... Read Full Story >>

The Universe Gives Me What I Need When I Need It

I have enough of.....everything! I realized this morning as I was thinking about the idea of sufficient that the universe has given me exactly what I have needed when I needed it.

I am grateful for this revelation which made me want to give more of myself to everyone that I met. I was on the train and had the pleasure to speaking to three older women...who did not feel like strangers... for 55 minutes which gave me such joy because I am enough.

I am grateful for the love of my son who hugs me everyday and tells me he loves me....I have enough love. I am grateful for my friends because they are enough.....and I am grateful for the friends who are no longer friends because what they gave me was enough.

Thank you Universe for providing me with enough every single day.

How I Spent $100 on Smiles

Thank you, HelpOthers, for the opportunity to share smiles with flowers! Several life glitches have slowed this down, but the kindness keeps going. Below are a couple stories of ways my family and I have gotten to tag others! Act #1: Doorstep Smiles This evening, we are going to leave potted flowers on a wonderful lady's stairs, with a smile card and ribbons. Though she seems lonely to me when I see her sometimes, she always shares a smile for others. So I thought it perfect to leave her some smiles in return. Update: My ganddaughter, hubby, and I walked over this evening, and the timing was perfect. We reached over the gate that leads to her stairs and left the potted mum flowers on the steps, along with the stick, smile card and ribbons tied to it. Another pot below that stair, and the last below that. I have to say, this was so ... Read Full Story >>

A Tail Waggin Way Of A Blessing

Last week, I was out getting the mail and noticed a dog crossing the street that looked oddly familiar. I went near the dog to see if it had a tag or if I recognized it to see if I could find the owner. When I got close to the dog, I realized that it was the same dog that my neighbors had lost 4 years ago. A few months ago, these neighbors moved out of my neighborhood, but that was not going to stop me finding them! I remebered they moved to Minnesota. I spent the rest of the day searching all of the people with their last name in the Minnesota area.  Finally when I was starting to give up hope, I called the last number.  I couldn't' believe it, it was them!   I told them of how I found their dog that went missing 4 years ago.  They thought it ... Read Full Story >>

Victim Treats His Mugger Right

Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner. But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn. He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife. "He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says. As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm." The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing ... Read Full Story >>

Hats For The Homeless

A true kindness soul! ❤️Bless this man.

 A 91-year-old man fighting cancer is knitting warm hats for the homeless while bedridden in hospice care. Despite being weak and frail, with a mass on his kidney, Morrie Boogart, has knitted more than 18,000 hats.

An Unexpected Tip from an Unlikely Customer

This happened to me years ago when I was a waitress, but I still remember this specific incident so vividly. As the end of the night was approaching, fifteen minutes before our restaurant closed, a gentleman came in.  I was the unfortunate waitress who got to stay after closing to take his order and serve him his food. The customer was impeccably difficult was quite openly upset with how his food was prepared, slightly overdone, perhaps a medium rare when he had requested rare. He sent his order back twice. When it eventually arrived to his liking, he needed a pot of coffee brewed fresh. Meanwhile, my managers and our cooks were breathing down my neck, as they wanted the last customer of the day to finally leave so that we could close up shop and go home.   At this point I was frustrated and tired. I had stayed 45 ... Read Full Story >>

The Kindness Wave and the Hopeful Tears

I want to share my tears with you. Now I know we've been here before with my pain and you have all given me love and support but today it's different. You see, as I sit and type this, this morning tears are running down my face, my nose is running and my heart is very active. All of this is good though. Let me explain.  My tears today are activated by joy, love, inspiration so many other positive emotions. I have been reading inspirational stories. Stories that have had a big pull on my heart. These include the latest stories I will share briefly with you: The police department who responded to an 80+  elderly man  who asked if someone would bring him food as he hadn't eaten in 2 days because his care-worker had scammed him out of his money.  4 or 5 policemen bought him grocery supplies out of their own pocket ... Read Full Story >>

A Day Full Of Blessings

Some days are just so full of blessings you don't know what to do! Today was one of those. My neighbor needed to avoid a utility shut-off, so I helped her round up the money to cover it. It was mutually beneficial and not really a favor but she appreciated the help. (I bought some stuff from her that she had no use for but I would have probably purchased anyway.)      When I got home I found a wet $20 bill plastered to the ground in the street.    Another friend had coupons and rewards and treated me to a good movie and wonderful dinner at a little cafe. At the diner, I saw a man and his three adorable little girls having a frugal meal. He looked a little stressed, so I used the $20 bill I had found and paid for their meal.    The waitress was so surprised by this that she ... Read Full Story >>